Move in line with ‘National Program for the Combat of Obesity in Children and Adolescents 2021’
The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) successfully launched an ‘Open Day’ at its Weight Care Centre in Sharjah. The move, which aims to promote its services in line with the ‘National Program for the Combat of Obesity in Children and Adolescents 2021,’ was held in the presence of H.E. Hussein Abdel Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary for Health Clinics and Centres; Dr. Fadila Mohammed Sharif, Director, Health Education Department; Sharjah Medical District officials; employees; patients and auditors.
‘Open Day’ included key activities like a special introductory meeting for attendees, healthy cooking lectures given by a nutritionist, a health shopping workshop and sports with a professional trainer. Throughout the day, special prizes were also raffled off to attendees present at the event.
The Sharjah Weight Care Centre is a specialized facility that offers non-surgical services aimed at promoting healthy eating habits and healthy lifestyle practices among overweight and obese individuals. The facility is staffed with a highly qualified multi-disciplinary team composed of nutritionists, health educators and nurses. The centre also features key facilities and amenities like a fully-equipped kitchen, an activities hall and gymnasium.
H.E Dr. Hussein Abdel Rahman Al-Rand said: “The launch of the open day activities falls in line with the efforts of the Ministry to combat obesity in the UAE and complements the ‘National Program to Combat Obesity in Children and Adolescents 2021.’ The ultimate objective is to build a healthy society by enabling individuals to adopt healthy lifestyles, create an environment conducive to health promotion and prevent non-communicable diseases through regular exercise and healthy eating habits.”
HE Dr. Hussein also explained that MOHAP is constantly launching new initiatives and organizing social events and activities to raise awareness about the dangers of obesity and the health risks it poses. He added: “Through the Weight Care Centre, MOHAP seeks to help obese members of the community to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. The opening of weight-care centres in in “Dhadna” in Fujairah and “Al Dhaid” will contain a number of facilities and services such as health kitchens, e-activity rooms and health education rooms to establish an integrated educational process. the ministry also plans to open a number of similar centres in different emirates of the country”
Dr. Fadila Mohammed Sharif added that the ‘Open Day’ activities were held to promote the services of the Weight Care Centre, which looks towards increasing awareness and educating the community about the services offered by the Ministry. She said: “The services available are completely free of charge and will help individuals adopt a healthy lifestyle. Obese patients from the ministry health centres will undergo laboratory tests, discuss results with a doctor and then transfer to the Weight Care Centre for a consultation with nutritionist and health education specialist, with periodic follow-ups for three to six months.”
